City set to seek bids for new water meters

October 15, 2012

JOHNSTOWN - The city Water Department is ready to solicit bids for the purchase of more modern water-meter equipment for city residences after hearing a final proposal from a Texas-based meter company last week.

The city Water Board heard a presentation from Master Meter, the latest of several proposals received this year by the Water Department in an effort to upgrade the city's water meter program.

Michael Worden, territory manager for Fort Worth, Texas-based Master Meter Inc., told the board newer technology uses radio registers on the residential meters. He said the meters can be monitored from outside the home by Water Department employees. He said the newer radio-read technology would offer many more meter-reading options for the department.

"With the radio unit, we can give you leak detection," Worden said.

He said his company's equipment would give the department the ability to detect water system backflow at a residence or if water is running through the lines backward. He said individual laptop units cost $20,000, and that price includes the receiver, antenna and various software.

The board in the past several months has heard presentations from local and commercial water officials regarding possible upgrading of the water meter program. No decision has been made yet by the board.

Worden said Master Meter also can give the department various reports, including archived data for individual customers.

He said his company has 10- and 20-year warrantees on its meter equipment.

"What I like about it is it stores up to six months [of data]," board President Nicholas Cannizzo Sr. said of the Master Meter units.

Water Department Clerk Cinda Spraker said she has prepared a request for proposals for water meter equipment.